The mummy returns!
October 2, 2005 | 12:00am
I passionately believe in the power of travel to transform both travelers and the communities they travel to. One of life’s most satisfying treasures is exploring our own beautiful country and learning about our culture with respect, sensitivity and a liberal sense of humor.
An invitation from La Union Governor Victor Ortega and his wife Mayor Mary Jane Ortega to witness the historical return of the remains of 400-year-old ancestors or "mummies" to their original burial ground in Bagulin elicited much excitement. The elders of the Kankanaey tribe in Bagulin conducted the sinitsit, a native ritual honoring the dead, wherein the skeletal remains of their ancestors and several artifacts were retrieved from the Museo de La Union at the provincial capitol. A truck transported the remains of four of the six Kankanaey ancestors to the town plaza of Bagulin where a cañao, a traditional native celebration wherein offerings of a native pig and a pregnant carabao, was held to welcome their return for good luck.
The well-preserved treasures were a sight to behold and a unique experience. We positioned ourselves close to the precious artifacts, which consisted of skulls, bones, and skeletal remains inside a wooden coffin, together with antique plates, spears, jars, pots and a native instrument called pew-pew. Jason Lictao, the municipal secretary, said his father, George Lictao, and two others discovered the skeletal remains in 1940, stored in a wooden coffin inside the Kidlap Cave in the mountain village of Kambali. The remains were subsequently taken by the Philippine Tourism Authority and turned over to the care of the provincial government in 1978. Lictao said there were historical accounts from Kankanaey elders that the tribal folk experienced bad luck, like a severe drought, crop damage and other disasters, when their ancestors’ remains were removed from the cave. He said the Kankanaey are finally appeased now that the remains are back.
The weekend sojourn to La Union was an enlightening and inspiring trip as we explored this melting pot of northern Philippines. Here exists a fusion of the rich, unique cultural heritage of Ilocandia and the Cordilleras.
The name La Union is derived from the integration of the bordering towns of three provinces: Ilocos Sur on the north, Pangasinan on the south and Benguet on the east. It was created in 1850 by Queen Isabela II of Spain. After more than 150 years, the province – whose capital is San Fernando, just six hours away from Manila and just an hour from Baguio City – is the hub of trade and commerce in northwestern Luzon.
The province is an ecotourism paradise and has held its record as one of the healthiest, cleanest, greenest and most peaceful province in the entire country. As you enter La Union, the sea begins to glint behind the palm trees, where sand beaches await, cool upland eco-parks, countryside scenery, places of worship and miraculous shrines, urban convenience and cultural interests exist.
On top of a mountain is the pride and joy of the province: the La Union Botanical Gardens. This paradise, about eight kilometers from San Fernando City, is considered as the "lung" of the province. The garden now occupies the same area that was made into a mango orchard by some Japanese youth volunteers from 1972 to 1975. Today, nature lovers will enjoy walking through the lush gardens inspired by different countries and climate zones, as well as a mini zoo, natural museum and picnic grounds. The 20 hectares of rolling hills is divided into pocket gardens with herbal, cactus paradise, fernery, sunken garden, fragrance garden, an orchidarium and other variety of fern, palm, flowering plants and fruit-bearing trees. A house of butterfly collections and plant information makes it a perfect place for research for students from nearby different universities and colleges.
A significant counterpart of the botanical garden is the eight-hectare sanitary landfill of the city. It is a controlled dumpsite where the garbage is covered daily after the recyclables are recovered by secondary waste pickers. San Fernando Mayor Mary Jane Ortega proudly toured us to the landfill that is dotted with ylang-ylang trees, and champacas, among other flowering plants.
"There must be a place where my constituents can enjoy fresh, clean air and enjoy Mother Nature’s gifts of flora and fauna," enthuses the gracious Mayor, who earned the sobriquet "Basura Queen" for the success of her landfill project.
Other attractions in La Union include the highest peak (1,113 meters above sea level) in Bagulin, which attracts many mountaineers. Being in the narrowest point of the Ilocos region, these mountains literally kiss the sea. Six miles north of San Fernando along Monaliza Beach in San Juan runs the best surf on the coast. Beginners can try the sandy Beach Break, while the more experienced can handle the rockier Point in front of Monaliza. Further south, Bauang Beach is one long strip of resorts that offer water sports, mountain biking and a water parade. Just inland is Naguilan, the basi winemaking capital of Ilocos. In Bacnotan, one can admire local silk production at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University.
A pilgrimage tour to La Union should begin with a visit to the Pindangan Ruins, the original site of the parish church of San Fernando built around 1759, beside which now stands the new Pindangan Church and the Carmelite Monastery, where St. Therese of Avila and the Little Child Jesus are revered. One shouldn’t miss a visit to the image of Ma-zu enshrined at the Ma-cho temple in San Fernando City, the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity in Agoo, and the shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan, where a beautiful image of the Virgin Mary (a majestic statue of soft wood carved in Spain, seven-foot tall, and whose eyes clearly look down on you when you kneel before her) is venerated in the parish church of Luna. Canonically crowned in 1959 as the Immaculate Concepcion of Namacpacan, she is lovingly referred to as Apo Baket, the Ilokano way of paying respect to an elderly woman by the local folks. Based on early records, Namacpacan was a settlement along the road from Vigan to Manila where travelers would stop to refresh themselves. Families of this town would offer the weary travelers food and shelter, thus Namacpacan was a place where people were fed. Devotees of Apo Baket believe in her, and many favors have been granted through her intercession.
Governor Ortega said progress in the province has come by many names – from being called the springboard for regional development, gateway to Ilocandia, tourist haven between the tallest Cordillera Mountain and the deep blue China Sea.
"One must have a plano la vida," the mayora adds, narrating that she learned the concept of a grand plan from the German nuns when she was still a student at the College of the Holy Ghost. "You must have a grand plan, a personal legacy in life that will be your guiding force in all that you do. Make the most of your time and resources to be the best you can ever be."
To such a progressive vision, viva La Union! We salute your mission. May your tribe increase!
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